The Soldier Returns
by ZackTigana
Summary: Cloud has a memory of Zacks death and decides to look for him, little does he know Zack is in Midgar with the anti-AVALANCHE group " The Black Hand ". Rated R for language and adult situations.
1. chapter 1

____________________________________________________________________________ __________FINAL FANTASY VII :  
  
The Soldier Returns___________________________  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
It was a time of happiness, joy, and unity. Avalanche, the anti-Shinra Terrorist group, had finally finished their mission: The destruction of Shinra. Cloud Strife, the new leader of the group, was sitting outside in the Sector Seven Slums, this is where it all began, but now things were different, there wasn't going to be anymore fighting. At least not untill they found Sephiroth.  
  
" I just dont know what to do with myself..", he said to himself," Maybe I'll...", and then it struck him. One of the severe headaches that had been reacurring had just hit him. Cloud screamed and grabbed his head as he collapsed.....  
  
............  
  
" Come on we've got to get out of here!", a young boy with black spikey hair screamed.  
  
The boy grabbed another young boys arm, he had blond spikey hair and was wearing a blue uniform. It was cloud. "What is this...?", Cloud thought to himself, " Is this the day that...that Zack died?!"  
  
Zack ran forward, " Cloud I never knew you were this heavy."  
  
Then there were gunshots.  
  
" I'll take care of em'. ", Zack said to an unconcious Cloud and ran back.  
  
Zack was a remarkable swordsman, of course it was what he lived by. He wasn't much of a person who dwelled on thier studies. He loved the feel of battle, he lived for it.  
  
Zack ran back and grabbed Clouds arm.  
  
" Doesn't take much to kill a couple of Shinra punks.", Zack said to himself.  
  
They continued up to a small cliff. Zack put his sword up and looked at cloud, " There we're back at Midgar, now I've got to get you to a doctor."  
  
" GET HIM!!!"  
  
There was a scream from a Shinra general and then gunshots.  
  
Cloud viewed the memory as it was a movie," I've never seen any of this.", Cloud said amazed, " How can I be seeing it now...?"  
  
There was another scream, but this time it was from Zack. He flew backwards and landed on the ground. Cloud still unconcious continued to lay in the spot were Zack had dropped him when he was hit. The guards walked over to Zack, they pulled their guns up and fired.  
  
" BANG!"  
  
" BANG!"  
  
" BANG!"  
  
It was done, Zack lay still on the ground. A guard walked over to Clouds body, " What about him?", he asked.  
  
" Leave him, he was a failure anyways...", the Shinra general yelled, " Now come on, our job here is done."  
  
And with those words the guards and thieir general left.  
  
" Im a failure?", Cloud thought in his head, " What does it mean...?"  
  
He focused his attention back to the picture in his mind. The unconcious Cloud finally awoke. He looked at Zacks body and ran toward it.  
  
" Zack...Zack...wake up...what...!",Cloud said looking down at Zacks body," Oh my god, what happened?"  
  
Zack had a gunshot wound in his stomach, and was unconcious. Cloud thought him to be dead.  
  
" Damn Shinra they did this to you!", Cloud yelled touching the bullet hole in Zacks stomach.  
  
Cloud reached down and grabbed Zacks sword. He held it above his head," I hate them...I hate them all...Shinra...Soldier...everyone!", he yelled," I'll get them for doing this to you!"  
  
............  
  
Cloud awoke, he was sprawled out on the floor. He picked himself up, and looked at the sky," Zack...why did I have this memory?"  
  
Cloud looked around and rethought the events in his head. He had never had a memory like this before, maybe it was a sign. " No..", Cloud thought to himself," He was shot four times...", and then he stood there, no emotion upon his face," In my memory...when I touched his wounds, there was only one that was bleeding, and it was in his stomach...", he said to himself," I have to know if he is still alive!"  
  
Cloud regained his thoughts and ran toward the Avalanche hide out," Tifa's Seventh Heaven."  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Zack looked across the field. He was traveling with a group of mercenaries who called themselves " The Black Hand." He looked to his right," There it is...", he thought," Midgar." The group was going to be stopping in Midgar for a few days, their objective was to assasinate the terrorist group AVALANCHE. Zack had thought about the day when Cloud vowed that he would destroy Shinra in Zack's memory, and he had a good idea that maybe he was in Avalanche.  
  
" I hope nothings happened to him...", Zack said to himself," I've got a lot of things to tell him."  
  
Zack looked forward and noticed his group had almost left his sight.  
  
" Shit, I'd better catch up!", Zack said running after the group.  
  
Yuu, the leader of the Black Hand had just began setting up his tent," All right, all of your start putting up camp were gonna stay here tonight, Midgar is still a couple of miles away!"  
  
Zack grabbed his pack and took out his tent. He began setting it up, when he was finished he grabbed his sword, a perfect remake of the original Buster Sword he used to own back when he was in SOLDIER. He set it beside his sleeping bag.  
  
" Just for safety precautions.", he said with a smile.  
  
Zack Stood up and removed his clothes and got into bed and repeated," I hope Cloud is still alive. I havent seen him for years...I have some things to talk to him about...", he said just befor dozing off into a deep slumber.  
  
________________________________________________________________________ 


	2. chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------  
  
  
  
Cloud awoke the next morning. He looked around the room," Where is everyone?", he thought to himself. He stood up and put on his clothes, yawned, and grabbed his sword. He walked over to the pinball machine and pressed the hidden button. When he arrived at the top Tifa, Aeris, and Barret were all sitting at a table talking.  
  
" Hey, whats up?", Cloud asked, taking a seat.  
  
Tifa turned and looked at him," Nothing, just thinking of what we're gonna do next.", She said with a smile.  
  
Cloud turned his head toward Aeris. She was a beautiful girl, the same age as Cloud, she had brown hair and the prettiest green eyes that would steal your mind in their gaze.  
  
" Cloud, what are you staring at?", Aeris said with a look of confusion on her face," Do I have something on me...what is it?"  
  
" Uh...oh...it was nothing.", Cloud reassured her.  
  
Tifa glared at the both of them. She had been in love with Cloud for years but was afraid to tell him, and when he met Aeris they both hit it off so well, this angered her.  
  
" Excuse me lover boy...", a loud voice boomed.  
  
It was Barret, the former leader of AVALANCHE, he had a look of concern upon his face.  
  
" Would you mind getting your spikey ass out of here if your gonna distract the ladies?", he said grinning.  
  
Cloud turned and looked at him, " Heh heh...sorry Barret...", he said leaning back in his seat. Barret looked at cloud.  
  
" Ok, we were just discussing when and how we're gonna go after Sephiroth.", Barret said, putting his hand on his cheek. Barret had lost his other hand to some lowly Shinra guards back at his home town.  
  
Cloud sat still in his chair, should he tell them about his memory? What if they didn't believe him? If they did, would they help him search? " Of course they would...", he thought to himself.  
  
" Guys...I have something to say...", Cloud said looking at each of them.  
  
" What is it?", Tifa asked quickly.  
  
" I had a memory..."  
  
" A memory, I thought we cured your scrawny ass of those?", Barret said sternly.  
  
Aeris looked at Barret," Shut up...I swear...men these days."  
  
Cloud chuckled and returned to informing his party.  
  
" It was...a memory...about Zack...", He said looking at Aeris, who flinched at the sound of his name.  
  
" It was...of the day he died...", Cloud continued,"...I think he's still alive..."  
  
" THATS REDICULOUS!!!", Aeris screamed, tears starting to come from her eyes.  
  
Zack was her first love. She had met him in the slums when she was a young girl and they dated while he was in SOLDIER, Shinra's program to create ultimate warriors. They had normally kept a close relationship with one another, talking, writing letters, seeing each other in person, untill finally his letters stopped and she heard from him no more.  
  
" It's true...", said a voice from the door.  
  
Everyone turned around to see who it was.  
  
" ZACK!", Aeris screamed, running toward him, tears running down her face," Zack...I thought you were dead. Why did you not contact me...or...Cloud."  
  
Zack looked towards Cloud.  
  
" Still the same...", He said with a smile.  
  
Cloud stood up, bewildered at the sight before his eyes. Was it really Zack, his old partner and best friend from SOLDIER.  
  
" Zack...is it...really you?", Cloud asked staring into the man's cold mako blue eyes, " It is you."  
  
" Yeah, its me Cloud. Long time no see eh?", Zack said, still embracing Aeris.  
  
He released Aeris and walked toward Cloud.  
  
" I came to talk to you, y'know...visit. I know I've missed out on a lot, but...I want to be with my friend.", Zack said looking at Cloud," I've also come to inform you about the group I was travelling with. The Black Hand."  
  
Barret walked towards them both.  
  
" Who the hell are they and how the hell do we know your still not with them?", he said carefully examining Zack.  
  
" I assure you, my...", Zack looked up,"...My big friend, that I am no longer travelling with them. To answer your first question..."  
  
Zack walked over to the table, grabbed a chair, and sat down.  
  
" The Black Hand is an Anti-AVALANCHE group started in the outskirts of the plains just south of the old town of Mideel. They are highly dangerous, and are looking for you.", Zack said staring at Barret.  
  
" Looking for us...?", Tifa said abruptly.  
  
Zack looked at her.  
  
" Ahh so you must be Tifa, Cloud had told me a lot about you back when we were in SOLDIER.", Zack stated.  
  
At these words, Tifa's face reddened. Cloud could feel his doing the same.  
  
" Well I don't give a damn who the hell is after AVALANCHE, I'll stomp em' dead. I aint' afraid of no damn Black Hand. Not as long as i got this ' Gun Hand ' right here.", Barret said.  
  
Zack shrugged," I see...", he said sarcastacly.  
  
Cloud turned towards Zack.  
  
" So where are they?", he asked.  
  
Zack pointed out the door.  
  
" A couple of miles from Midgar, I'd say they'll be here befor sundown.", he stated firmly.  
  
Aeris gasped and clinched her hands together.  
  
" Dont worry Aeris...", Zack said," I'm here to help you all."  
  
Aeris walked over to Zack, and put her arms around him.  
  
" Oh Zack I hoped for you to come back. I thought you were dead, but I still had hope.", she said hugging him.  
  
Zack looked at Cloud, he was staring at them.  
  
" Whats the matter?", Zack asked Cloud grinning.  
  
" Nothing...I just...want to talk to you...alone.", Cloud replied.  
  
Zack stood up.  
  
" Well we can talk after we take care of the Black Hand.", Zack said reassuringly.  
  
He walked over to Cloud.  
  
" Lets go practice. I want to see if you've improved."  
  
" Oh, dont worry Zack...I've improved.", Cloud said with a smirk.  
  
******************  
  
Zack stepped out onto the dirt road outside of Tifa's Seventh Heaven, Cloud followed. He looked around and then faced Cloud.  
  
" This looks like an afformidable place.", he said waving his hand.  
  
Cloud looked around the area as well. He shrugged.  
  
" Fine by me. Now lets get this little sparring match started, ok?"  
  
Zack pulled out his sword.  
  
" It's my new sword. It's an exact replica of the one I used to carry."  
  
Cloud pulled out his sword as well.  
  
" You mean this.", he said, holding it up.  
  
" Yeah thats the one. Now let me lay down the rules...um...this is a sword battle, that means no magic of any sort.", he said with a grin.  
  
Cloud shrugged," Ok. Now lets go."  
  
Zack held out his sword in a defensive position. Cloud held his angled behind him. He knew Zack was a good swordsman, he just hoped he could prove him self an afformidable opponent.  
  
" Haaa!!!"  
  
Zack screamed and ran forward. He had noticed that cloud had lost concentration and rushed him immediately. Cloud gathered his thoughts and readied himself. Zack swung low, but Cloud had dropped his sword to meet Zack's.  
  
" Good move!", Zack yelled attacking again.  
  
This time his blow hit cloud, slicing his left arm. Cloud winced at this and then returned the favor, hitting Zack in the right calf. Cloud could see Zack thinking over the battle in his head, he used this time to attack. He jumped into the air and dove down upon Zack, Zack had been thinking over the battle, but was still completely focused. He dodged Clouds attack and hit him in the back with the hilt of his sword, Cloud fell to the ground.  
  
" Had enough?", Zack asked.  
  
" Nope.", Cloud said kicking Zack in the shins.  
  
Cloud jumped up and regained his defensive posture. Zack did the same. They stood there, staring into each other's eyes trying to predict their opponents next move.  
  
" Whats he gonna do?", Cloud thought to himself.  
  
" Heh...I know what he's thinking...he's gonna use my old move against me. The Omnislash.", Zack said with confidence.  
  
Zack readied hisself for the attack. It consisted of numerouse slashes with the sword, and he knew just how to counter it.  
  
" Ok...here goes nothing...", Cloud thought," OMNISLASH!!!"  
  
Cloud ran towards Zack and threw a cut. Zack quickly blocked this and countered with a low jab. It struck Cloud in the side, he fell to the gorund.  
  
" How did you know what I was gonna do?", Cloud asked.  
  
Zack smiled.  
  
" Don't forget, I showed you that move. I know when and what's gonna happen."  
  
Zack held out his hand. Cloud grabbed it and stood up. He brushed himself off and they both put up their swords.  
  
" C'mon...", Cloud said,"...I wanna talk to you."  
  
______________________________________________________________________ 


End file.
